The present invention relates to hand tools, and more particularly, to a traction striking surface feature provided on the head of a framing hammer, accommodating a demand for a more resilient and wear resistant traction surface, as well as addressing the need for two different hammers for rough framing and finish trim work, thereby improving the versatility of claw hammers.
Hand held striking tools, such as claw hammers, have been used for centuries by people performing a great variety of tasks associated with carpentry. Typically, steel and titanium framing and finish hammers are used to deliver a striking force to drive nails into wood and other materials. The claw of a hammer is used, for example, to pull nails from said materials, or to pry materials apart that have been nailed together.
Concerning the traction surface of a striking face of a hammer and the commonly used materials for making hammer heads, there is a correlation between the weight, durability, and the practical application of different materials used in making hammer heads. Framing and trim hammers alike are typically made of steel or titanium, and the mass of the head, when swung by a person, creates a force to drive a nail into a given material, most commonly wood.
Framing hammers, in particular, have a specially formed traction surface formed into the striking face of the hammer, for providing a better “grip” on the nail being struck, and preventing the face of the hammer from glancing or sliding off the head of the nail as readily. This “waffle type” textured pattern or knurled surface used for traction greatly increases the nail driving efficiency of a framing hammer. Framing hammers are so named, particularly, because they are used mostly in rough framing applications of carpentry, where surface damage caused to the wood by the traction surface is of no consequence to the finished product being framed.
There are, however, many applications in rough carpentry where work is done with finished surface materials, and a smooth faced hammer is needed to prevent formation of damaging, waffle print indentations in the product being built.
In addition, a further drawback heretofore is that the waffle traction surface of a framing hammer typically wears smooth quickly with regular use, reducing nail driving efficiency and causing the risk of flying projectiles as pieces of the traction surface tend to break off as the hammer is striking nails. This is especially problematic with titanium hammer heads, but nonetheless prevalent with all framing hammers.
What is desirable is a hammer structure according to which the traction surface is prevented from contacting the material being worked on, aside from the nail being driven, and which is advantageously equipped with a more durable traction surface for the textured striking face of framing hammers.
Advantageously, these improvements would be provided without the manufacturing cost associated with heat treating an entire hammer head to attain hardening of the striking surface, which would concomitantly increase the chance of breaking the claw portion of the hammer head when prying force is applied, as in pulling nails or ripping materials apart.
An object of the invention is to provide a hammer that can be used for both rough framing and finish carpentry work while providing a traction surface for striking nails without damaging finished surface materials.
Another advantageous object of the invention is to provide a hammer with a more durable traction striking surface having a much greater resistance to wear.